Tuesday, May 31, 2011

News 31.05.11

Lower Manhattan Continues

I have only just release my latest version of the Lower Manhattan circuit and already I have started a rough model of an endurance layout for the circuit. It will range from between 4.5km - 6.5km in length. I have not yet modeled the new areas that it will have so check back here in a few short weeks to see what the state of progress is on the 'Porsche' layout.

Phoenix 89 Proposal 2.0

I released Phoenix 1989 1.0 Proposal exclusively to rfactor central some time ago, but I feel it is ready for an overhaul. The previous (current) version was not only inaccurate but a rather large compacted folder. About 100Mb unzipped. Too big I guess for some users. The main issue was the fact that the textures are very large to show of more detail. As it turns out, the detail is not what people want. They want speed, of both the load times and circuit framerates. This is very hard to tackle when I don't know what it is like to run one of my circuits off a hopelessly slow computer. Mine is not a brand-spanking new one, but it runs smooth as a whistle with 40+cars and high settings for all. So I do struggle to be sympathetic with those who's computers have been around since the early 2000s. Either way, I am already well in the thick of it and will have a new version out when it is ready.

Imola 1970s

Obviously this will be modeled off my 1960s version, but with new grandstands, pit buildings, walls, trees etc. This is a little while off, but I am aiming for a mid June release.

Hockenheim 1980s Proposal

Do you dislike the current 'cropped' version of Hockenheim that restored the forest to its former 'natural' state? I do! And if you are like me, you probably wonder why the circuit was changed the way it was. Well, I found that they wanted to change it in the early 1980s also and I have a track layout map too. Well it's time to see if this would have ever worked and build it myself. I have never traveled there and therefore I cannot be 100% accurate. But considering the circuit's '1980s proposal' was never built. I should be ok at coming up with something the rfactor users won't dis me for not being a "real" Hockenheim. This is a while off, but check back here in a few weeks as I will upload photos of the progress.